Forbidden under the new law on penalty of high fines and imprisonment: driving cars in columns that are more than five vehicles long; setting up an unauthorized sound system; distribution of "extremist opinion"; "mass disruptions" (10-15 years imprisonment!); collecting information on police or judges; and more.

End up in a column "more than five vehicles long" for any reason, including ordinary traffic or a sports event getting out? Jail. Use a loudspeaker or a bullhorn in a way the government doesn't like, or even just play your radio too loudly or tuned to a station they don't like? Jail. Post a negative opinion about the government to your blog? Jail. Take part in a protest? Jail. Try to hold corrupt public figures accountable for their actions? Jail.

Yes, reading is hard for some people, apparently. If you can't be bothered to read just why Ukrainians have been motivated to occupy Maidan Square for the last two months and put their lives at risk in so doing, then kindly find somewhere else to parade your unwillingness.

dic·ta·tor [dik-tey-ter, dik-tey-ter] Show IPAnoun1.a person exercising absolute power, especially a ruler who has absolute, unrestricted control in a government without hereditary succession.2.(in ancient Rome) a person invested with supreme authority during a crisis, the regular magistracy being subordinated to him until the crisis was met.3.a person who authoritatively prescribes conduct, usage, etc.: a dictator of fashion.4.a person who dictates, as to a secretary.

There are some in this discussion thread who think there is some law out there that the prez used to give himself "absurdly sweeping powers", however they are at a loss to provide any facts to back this up.

If there are new laws to regulate public gatherings, I suspect the 10-15 years is reserved for those who are found guilty of inciting riots that end up causing serious damage and/or death. This would make sense.

However some people prefer to view foreign leaders that they don't like as evil cartoon characters that create stupid evil laws that make it obvious to everyone that they are evil. Experience shows that there's nothing that can be done to convince these people that such a view is less than realistic. So whatever.

now, im no expert on Ukranian affairs. but i see a lot of talk of new laws circa november last year which were part of the escalation of this very unfortunate circumstance.

i am curious why this point of proving there even were restrictive laws is part of the solution*. now that this is settled, perhaps you would answer a question rather than only challenging everything, adding little, and being generally disruptive and dismissive, if you please. * - to the dying, unless the protesting itself is your issue?

$#%&^@()! COWICIDE! This was a nice and simple black-and-white debate, wherein it had been decided (by dint of posting more than the opposition) that FACTS and CITATIONS are tools of the dictatorial class.

Haven't you learned that the only people who ask for verification of strongly-held convictions are astro-turfers? They just want to muddy the clear waters of righteous indignation with the mind-clouding powers of history, context and moral ambiguity.